From the UFL to the Arena League to the CFL getting cut twice to the starting lineup for Detroit

The NFL was the last thing on Michael Ola's mind when he arrived for training camp with the UFL's Virginia Destroyers in the summer of 2011.

Ola went undrafted out of Hampton (Va.), got nary a sniff from NFL teams during the 2011 off-season lockout and just wanted to play football.

But when Destroyers coach Marty Schottenheimer — a longtime coach with the Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins and Kansas City Chiefs — called Ola into his office one day, the offensive lineman's career went rocketing in another direction.

"He was just telling me how he saw the potential in me and he said: 'I feel like you're an NFL player,' " Ola said. "Just the fact that he told me that and he's coached in that league was amazing for me. And so that kind of gave me a boost. He's seen a lot of players, he knows what they look like, so if he's saying that I look like that, then I'm going to start believing it as well."

Schottenheimer cut Ola before the season because of his inexperience, but not before Ola impressed another coach enough to land a job with the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League.

He played one season in Jacksonville, then two years with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL.

After brief stints with two NFL teams, Ola will start his third straight game at right tackle for the Lions on Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers.

"It was a far-off thing, and looking back now, I really don't know how I made it here other than God, because that's a lot of hoops to jump through," Ola said. "I was fortunate, in the right systems at the right times and met the right coaches who trusted me and believed in me, and I was able to put something on film that these people like.

"Now, it's easier because the path's been drawn. But back then, I couldn't tell you that I'd be from this place, meet a guy here, go over to a different country, play ball, impress a couple coaches, come back down here, have an opportunity, rookie year, start 12 games. You can't really see that when you're in the murk of things, but when you look back on it it's an awesome story."

Ola signed a futures deal with the Miami Dolphins after the 2013 season, but was waived four months later.

The Chicago Bears, who had hired Montreal's Marc Trestman as coach a year earlier, claimed Ola off waivers, and Ola started 12 games for a jumbled Bears offensive line last year.

That versatility — he started seven games at left guard, two at left tackle and three at right tackle — earned Ola a job with the Chargers this fall. And when he was cut in October, the Lions claimed Ola off waivers to add depth and versatility to their beleaguered offensive front.

"He started before in the league, obviously," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. "And sometimes, the route that they take to getting back to the point where they're starting again is somewhat circuitous and he, I think, has benefited from all of his experiences. You can kind of see it come out in his play.

"He has a real good understanding of himself, which I think is key, because you've got to know yourself and what your strengths are in order to kind of handle some of the people that he faces week in and week out. And he plays to his strength, which I think is a good thing."

Ola played most of the Lions' Week 10 upset of the Packers after starting right tackle LaAdrian Waddle aggravated a knee injury.

He started each of the next two weeks in wins over the Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles, and has shown steady improvement.

"He's been doing a pretty good job," offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. "Hasn't been perfect. Nothing's been perfect. It's hard to be perfect up front in those O-line positions. But I feel like he's given us a little bit of a boost, and he's been a productive player for us."

Ola said he's starting to feel more comfortable with his role and the offense.

As for his long, winding journey to the NFL, he said it's a "beautiful feeling" to see it complete.

"For me it's a sense of urgency that I don't want to be the weak link on this team, 'cause nobody's going to care that, 'Oh, he just got here,' " Ola said. "Nobody wants to hear that. Line up and play. So I definitely want to make sure that my game is up to par and is also causing other people's games to step up."